Arnold & Porter and A Better Chance Join Forces to Promote Legal Careers to Students of Color
Washington, DC, December 17, 2020 — Arnold & Porter and A Better Chance announced today that they will be launching a three-year partnership to help promote the number of diverse students who are interested in pursuing a career in law. Arnold & Porter will provide financial and programmatic support to A Better Chance's efforts to substantially increase the number of young people of color who can assume positions of responsibility and leadership in American society. Founded in 1963, A Better Chance has provided life-changing educational opportunities for nearly 17,000 students in our nation.
Arnold & Porter Chairman Richard M. Alexander noted: "This partnership is an important step in helping to create meaningful interest in legal careers for students of color by providing greater access to education and mentorship."
"We are excited to be working with Arnold & Porter to address the critical disparity that exists for people of color in law," said Francisco Tezén, President & CEO of A Better Chance. "Together, we can expand representation and create career pathways for our Scholars and Alumni."
According to the American Bar Association's National Lawyer Population survey, Black, Latinx, Native American and Asian Americans each represent 5% or less of active lawyers. A Better Chance works with talented students of color and their families to access and succeed in first-class college preparatory education, and to form a support network that provides guidance, awareness, skill-building, and enrichment opportunities. 96% of A Better Chance graduates enroll directly in college, compared with 24% of students of color nationwide; 50% of the Alumni go on to earn graduate or professional degrees. Through its partnership with Arnold & Porter and funding from the Arnold & Porter Foundation, A Better Chance will help its Scholars and Alumni learn about and engage with the broad range of opportunities in the legal profession.
"This partnership with Arnold & Porter will expose A Better Chance Scholars at every level to the opportunities available in the legal profession," said Arnold & Porter partner Rhonda Trotter, who is also on the Board of A Better Chance and is an alum of the program, having attended the Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut from inner city schools in Los Angeles. "A Better Chance changed the trajectory of my academic and professional life. This collaboration will bring together two leading organizations in their respective fields to provide young people of color with transformational educational and leadership development experiences."
The partnership program will include annual events where Arnold & Porter attorneys and other lawyers will meet with A Better Chance Scholars and Alumni to discuss legal career pathways and provide career coaching; hands-on learning opportunities through scholarships for summer programs in law and government; and establish a college and careers technological platform that enables A Better Chance to better identify Alumni interested in legal careers, support LSAT test preparation, and create internship opportunities at Arnold & Porter.
Contact
Issara Baumann, Senior Media Relations Manager
+1 202.942.6682
Issara.Baumann@arnoldporter.com
Joe Khammar, Digital Communications Manager
+1 646.346.1334
jkhammar@abetterchance.org
About Arnold & Porter
With nearly 1,000 lawyers practicing in 14 offices around the globe, Arnold & Porter serves clients across 40 distinct practice areas. The firm offers 100 years of renowned regulatory expertise, sophisticated litigation and transactional practices, and leading multidisciplinary offerings in the life sciences and financial services industries.
The Arnold & Porter Foundation was set up to further advance our efforts toward equality and justice, is a tax-exempt private foundation that provides scholarships to minority law students, funds fellowships for recent law school graduates at tax-exempt organizations, and awards grants to other charitable and educational organizations.
About A Better Chance
A Better Chance's mission is to increase substantially the number of well-educated young people of color who are capable of assuming positions of responsibility and leadership in American society. Since 1963, this guiding principle has driven A Better Chance to place talented young people of color into the leadership pipeline. Our signature College Preparatory Schools Program annually recruits, prepares and places approximately 500 new Scholars and supports a total of 2,200 Scholars at more than 200 of the nation's leading college preparatory schools across the country. Our record of success is evident in the almost 17,000 Alumni who have become great innovators, thinkers and leaders in their respective fields.
Visit www.abetterchance.org to learn more.
